The beef trade continues to drive on, with quotes up 10-15c/kg this week. Bullocks are working off a base price of €6.20/kg, with heifers now at a €6.30/kg base price. Flat prices of as high as €6.80/kg have been paid to get Aberdeen Angus heifers this week. The buoyant beef trade has turned up the temperature in an already hot mart trade. Elphin Mart had over 350 heifers through the ring on Wednesday, with €5/kg common for heifers weighing between 500-600kg. A big Northern Ireland presence drove on the trade.

Dairy beef weanlings crossed the €4/kg mark in Ennis on Tuesday, with a pen of eight March 2024-born Hereford-cross bullocks weighing 332kg selling for €1,510 (€4.55/kg). In general good-quality dairy beef weanlings are selling from €3.30-€3.70/kg.

Weanlings were making between €4-€4.50/kg at special weanling sales in Aurivo marts in Mohill, Co Leitrim, and Balla Mart in Co Mayo this week. Exporters and farmers are now clashing at ringsides, with some exporters not able to compete with farmer demand. The cull cow trade also ramped up this week, with good-quality cull cows hitting €3-€3.30/kg in marts and over €6/kg in factories.

Beef prices are also up 10-15p/kg this week in the UK, with some large feeders expressing concerns about replacement costs and the money being tied up where large numbers of cattle are involved.